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SINGAPORE – A car screeched to a stop right in the middle of a “terrorist attack,” and four heavily armored policemen jumped out of the vehicle and headed straight for the firing line.
The four officers then deftly stormed through the gates to clear a safe path for their VIP cargo, firing rounds to take down the “attackers”, while shielding their cargo with their bodies.
Among these four operators of the Counterattack Unit (CAU) in this exercise scenario last Friday (August 28) is a woman, Sergeant Anna (not her real name), who is the first woman to graduate from the course. CAU of the Police Security Command (SecCom). .
The identities of CAU operators cannot be made public due to operational sensitivities. They are primarily SecCom personal security officers, an elite unit assigned to protect the president, ministers, and other very important dignitaries.
The three-month course is physically demanding, and the pass rate for this latest batch, the eight, was just over 60 percent with five of the eight apprentices, including Sgt Anna.
The specialized CAU is tasked with protecting local and foreign VIPs during major events and was commissioned in May 2006, following high-profile terrorist events such as the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001, and the attacks of Bali in 2002 and 2005 against tourists. places.
Officers like Sergeant Anna play their role as CAU operators during major events such as the 2018 Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, at National Day parades, and most recently during the inauguration of Parliament last week.
In major incidents, CAU operators are the “first line of defense” to protect their charges, and their training must be challenging to prepare them for this role, CAU’s commanding officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police, told the media. ASP) Bros Leong. during the training demonstration last Friday (Aug 28).
Operators are selected based on their physical abilities and mental readiness, and undergo a rigorous training program that prepares them for hand-to-hand battles and attack scenarios, among others.
“They are trained and ready to take a bullet from VIPs,” ASP Leong said, adding that instructors even fire simulation rounds at their trainees to train them to protect their VIP payloads instead of dodging the rounds.
Operators must also carry an average of 20kg of equipment during their training as they are clad in heavy armor and carry additional equipment such as extra ammunition, gas masks and a shield.
All of the trainees stayed at the same level during training, regardless of gender, without exception, he said, adding that he was proud of Sergeant Anna for standing firm.
Sergeant Anna said it felt surreal to have completed the grueling course, which ended on August 20.
The 28-year-old officer, who joined SecCom two years ago, is an avid gamer who plays many first-person shooter games. She said she joined the CAU because she was interested in the tactical moves and tactical shooting involved in operations.
She was more motivated to complete the course knowing that she would be the first woman to do so, and she said that her classmates were also very encouraging.
“(We) always cheered on each other, and when one of us felt bad … we always helped each other. There was never a moment of ‘surrender,'” Sgt. Anna said.
“I hope to motivate other aspiring female officers so that they too can join the unit, as long as they believe in themselves.”
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